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Monday, October 12, 2009

SKIN WHITENING

Skin Whitening is very very big in Asia.

In Singapore, you can find a whitening range in just about any cosmetic or skincare store. Cheap papaya whitening creams to mid range drugstore brands to higher end miracle whitening creams adorn the shelves. It’s truly a whitening jungle out here!

SNOW WHITE

The benefits of Skin Whitening is highly sought after as it promises clearer, translucent, fairer and even tone skin. People with hyper pigmentation, liver spots, sun damage, acne scarring and freckles can achieve longer lasting results by using whitening products that block melanin production.
Achieving fairer skin takes time, patience and devotion as the effects are gradual and best seen after a few months. Do not expect fairer, translucent and even skin tone in a few weeks or days, as whitening is skin deep and works deep in the skin by blocking melanin production (responsible for the darker coloration in skin) and gradually exfoliating away the dull surface layer of skin. A whitening range can translate to brighter skin as well :)
As effective as a whitening range can be, it does have it’s drawbacks and it’s safer to exercise caution and moderation when embarking on a whitening regime:

Periods of intense whitening should be accompanied with periods of downtime for the skin to regenerate independently.

Right now, I’ve noticed an increased reddness in my skin tone ,especially concentrated at my post acne redness. I’ve taken a week off my glycolic and skin lightening products and I’m using SANA’s Cleanser, Dr Secrets Toner and Vitacreme B12. During the week , I noticed that my skin had a few tiny zits but it went away very quickly when I applied just a tiny amount of glycolic directly onto it( not onto the whole face). Amazingly, Vitacreme worked within 2 days to soothe the excessive redness on my skin and I think it’s an effective product for skin regeneration and healing. My sensitive and red skin is now back to normal skin tone, just after one and a half weeks of using VITACREME B12. 2) Do not embark on an AGGRESSIVE WHITENING REGIME if you have dry, sensitive and “thin” skin.
If you tend to have dry skin, whitening agents can sometimes irritate the skin and make it flake excessively. Start out slow and use a very gentle whitening regime.
If you have oily to normal skin, a gentle whitening regime may not be as effective. Your skin may be able to tolerate moderate to aggressive skin whitening regime.

Effective Skin Whitening Ingredients:

Skin Whitening Ingredients works in two ways to give you fairer skin:
1. By absorbing the UV rays, thus preventing the sun from darkening your skin.
2. By reducing the production of melanin, the skin pigment found in
your skin which is responsible for skin darkening.

What should you look out for when you want to purchase a whitening product ? Glycolic Acid, Kojic Acid and Vitamin C are my preferred choice of whitening ingredients as they give me the least amount of skin irritation and maximum results in terms of lightening and evening out the skin tone. Glycolic based products can help with stubborn pigmentation too because I had a bad pigmented patch and after a few months of regular glycolic use, it has faded back to my normal skin tone.

Beware of products containing hydroquinone such as DR MURAD Age Spot & Pigment Lightening Gel with 2% Hydroquinone. This ingredient irritates my skin and has broken me out before. Also, it isn’t certified to be a 100% “ Safe” ingredient. This ingredient is my least favourite whitening agent.

If you are a whitening expert, you would know what works and what doesn’t. If you are new to whitening, you might have to do some trial and error but you should look into your current skin care routine(esp if it is working) to know which ingredients seem to work for your skin and which doesn’t. You can make better whitening product choice if you do enough research on the whitening product and by double checking the ingredients list first.

People with already sensitive skin can experience different levels of irritation when they start using skin whitening products. It took me 2-3 months to become accustomed to the whitening ingredients found in Dr Secrets( it contains Kojic Acid). Now I can’t do without it.

There are so many ways to “lighten or whiten” our skin tone and ultimately it boils down to finding the right ingredients that work with your skin type. Take your time to discover your most suitable whitening product and should you get any nasty reactions or break out, stop using the products immediately. Effective whitening products should make your skin fairer, clearer and brighter. Do not be afraid to give your whitening regime a break when you feel your skin is looking too red or irritated or sensitive . Do pamper your skin with a whitening mask once a week or twice a month too. Peels and exfoliation is key to allow maximum penetration of skin whitening agents.

I know alot of you girls have really beautiful fair skin. What’s your must have whitening skin care product ?

As always,wear sunblock for fair, translucent and beautiful skin & have a great great week ahead sweeties & Dee sweetie, I hope this article helps u:)

23 comments:

Thank you for sharing such useful information. I have freckles and dry, sensitive skin. Usually I pick whitening products which claim to regulate the melanin production as it is the main cause of my freckles. My skin naturally produces a lot of melanin. :(

Right now I am using the Ellagic acid and Dr. G whitening reformer as my night cream. So far the results are quite nice. My freckles haven't really gotten lighter but my skin does look more luminous.

AMy! yup. this whitening craze is kinda out of control in Asia, but its understandable cause the tropics are so hot and sunny, so pigmentation and uneven skin tone are problems we face.I'll definitely do a review on vitacreme 12 after I used it for a longer time :

Thanks for the info!! I use masks occasionally and some products like a-arbutin for whitening. I found that Etude House 02 White mask is really nice for whitening (not really 100% permanent though) and I've reviewed it on my blog! Let us know how vitacreme 12 is after you've used it for a while~

Thanks for sharing this is very informative :) I skip from whitening to none whitening from time to time, not because I know i need to inter change I just don't like to stick with one thing for a long time. Looks like it's actually good for skin hehe :)

Great informative post!! I have to admit i would love to be at least 1-2 shades fairer.. but have been kinda slacking off my whitening regime. I had been using Vichy Bi-white, I might start on tt again once my acne is more under control..

Oh and I didn't know about Stage cosmetics being imported from diff countries! I dun pay much attention to such details.. lol.. nice to know though =)

Ena, wow.. i guess we sometimes do things that are good for our skin without really knowing :)

Hi Dina, I never thought whitening wouldn't suit oily skin cause I have oilier skin and whitening actually helps me :) it's still safer to be gentle when adopting a whitening routine :)can't wait for the reviews!

Hey Blair, let me know if you like any products listed!

Hey Alex, u're so right. Environment shapes us. I used to be a tomboy and very sunburnt as a child. I had so much freckles and was pretty dark. So growing up, I kinda forced myself to put on sunblock and take better care of my skin. It's taken a long time but I'm glad to say my freckles are slowly disappearing :)

Hey Luna, I've seen drastic improvements from using vichy bi white in the past. it helps to lighten and the effects are pretty long term... gotta check out those amazing palettes :)

Yumeko, thanks for the recommendation. i got to get a bottle from my brother and try it! thanks sweetie!

aww... i used to be a darkie and it didn't affect me until i started to notice pigmentation and freckles. my mom had alot of those so i knew i had to work hard to protect my skin from those harsh rays..Thanks Ahleessa:)

Whitening is BIG business in Asia. Here? Not so much. However I have been noticing a trend toward more "brightening" products as girls now (myself included) want to have skin free of dark spots. LOVE your posts, Lane! :D

Very informative post, I've never been into whitening products in my younger years, but now I'm trying to catch up with it all, but I need anti-aging products more LOL. I've tried Sekkisei and quite liked it.

Aside from moderation and caution, it's best to add in healthy habits if you seek fairer skin. Aging can be a big roadblock for your skin, and the best way to slow down its effects is to exercise and avoid unhealthy habits like smoking. The latter is especially important, as that can damage your skin and complexion. Sunlight can be a big factor too. Avoid exposing your skin to too much sunlight, as that can cause health problems.

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Lane

HiHi,

I'm Lane & I live in sunny Singapore.I'm a beauty addict, a scent addict, a skincare fanatic and a real girly girl beneath it all. I started out on wordpress early 2009 to share my love of beauty and skincare. I'm still a beauty junkie and I hope to share my love & passion with u all!Questions & Business Enquiries:Blovetbeauty@gmail.com

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1)I'm an advocate of Korean's Philosophy of Skincare. Invest time, effort and good products into your skin health so that minimal base makeup is needed to achieve glowing skin
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